1. Field of the Invention
A plug and socket connector arrangement includes a pair of tubular locking sleeves mounted for axial and rotational displacement on the plug and socket connector bodies, which locking sleeves have adjacent ends provided with internal and external screw threads, respectively, which adjacent ends contain a plurality of longitudinal slits that define a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient threaded sectors. After the plug and socket connectors are brought into connected engagement, the locking sleeves are successively displaced from retracted separated positions axially together toward an adjacent locked position, whereby the resilient inner sleeve sectors are initially radially expanded, and the resilient outer sleeve sectors are subsequently radially contracted, thereby bringing the inner and outer screw threads into threaded engagement, following which the locking sleeves are slightly relatively rotated to lock together the locking sleeves and the plug and socket connectors.
2. Description of Related Art
Many types of electrical plug and socket connector arrangements are known, especially along the so-called M standard (for example, “M12”). In the simplest case, the plug parts are equipped with a rotatable sleeve that has a screw thread. Such designs make it necessary after the combination of the plug-in contacts to bring about a screwing-together over the entire length of the screw thread. This requires an appreciable time expenditure, especially when making a plurality of such plug-in connections. On the electrical connectors commonly used in the automation technology, the connections for this purpose are often arranged relatively close to each other, which likewise increases the time expenditure and makes connection rather laborious.
This is why plug parts and corresponding sockets of plug-in connections were created; they make it possible to insert the sleeve on the side of the plug part into the socket by simply inserting it and, at the end of the assembly procedure, they facilitate a final and axial locking between the two parts by means of a slight rotation. This is disadvantageous in that the past designs necessitate a rather expensive production and processing both of the sleeve of the plug part and the processing of the socket inasmuch as the currently known designs are based on the idea that they contain either bayonet-like connection possibilities or that both the sleeve of the plug part and the socket must be provided with thread-free areas running along the axial direction, which then facilitate an axial combination or connection without the need for a rotation and which permit an axial securing only at the last moment by means of a rotation. In the latter variant, a connection is made to an inside screw thread that is not provided with the axially free areas and, furthermore, in that way, one cannot achieve any time gain when compared to known screw operations.
It is also known that a sleeve of the socket part that has an internal screw thread can be subdivided into ring segments, which, after insertion of the plug part, are folded inward and are then locked. Handling is made easier, of course, only if the sleeve is designed in this fashion.
The German published application No. DE 20 2006 003 400 discloses a typical electrical plug-in connection with a plug part with a sleeve for purposes of connection with a socket that has an internal screw thread, whereby the sleeve on its external circumferential area engaging the socket is equipped with at least one deflectable, preferably elastically deflectable, projection that is fashioned in the manner of a part of an external screw thread turn.
As an alternative, one might conceive equipping the socket with its internal circumference area receiving the sleeve with at least one deflectable, preferably elastically deflectable projection shaped in the manner of a part of an internal screw thread turn. The sleeve must in this case be provided with an outer screw thread for connection with the socket.
This plug-in connection has proven to be effective. But there is a need for another fast connection system, which, in particular, can also be coupled in a simple manner with plug parts or socket parts that are not designed with devices for fast connection.